As we mature, we all experience a relationship with wrinkles at some point. Whether they are from facial expressions that we have frequently made, or from unprotected time in the sun, wrinkles are inevitable. Especially living in a climate like Florida, where the sun shines (nearly) year-round, it helps to understand how wrinkles develop and what influences them.
At their root, wrinkles start to form when the skin’s structure – its collagen, elastin, and ability to regenerate – begins to change. Over time, the skin layer becomes thinner, less elastic, and less able to snap back after movement or stretching. When you add in repeated movements from facial expressions, sun exposure, gravity, and lifestyle habits; lines, creases, and folds begin to accumulate.
The Big Two: Static and Dynamic Wrinkles
Dermatologists usually divide wrinkles into two core categories: dynamic and static.
- Dynamic wrinkles – These appear when you make facial expressions: smiling, squinting, frowning, or raising an eyebrow. At younger ages, these lines tend to fade when the face relaxes. They are often the earliest wrinkles people notice. Typical locations can include the forehead, around the eyes, between the eyebrows, and around the mouth.
- Static wrinkles – Over time, repeated muscle movement, combined with factors like collagen loss, diminished elasticity, sun exposure, and gravity, can cause lines to settle into the skin. These wrinkles remain visible even when your face is at rest. Additionally, when fine lines deepen, they often become static wrinkles.
Other Wrinkle Types
At Florida Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centers, we also see:
- Fine lines – These are shallow, surface-level lines that often appear first. Fine lines typically show up in areas with thin skin, like around the eyes and lips, and are a subtle early sign of skin aging.
- Deep wrinkles and folds – As skin loses volume and elasticity, and as fat pads under the skin shift or shrink, deeper wrinkles can form. These often show up as folds around the mouth, marionette lines (from mouth corners down toward the chin), or folds along the jawline and neck.
- Wrinkles from gravity & volume loss – As the skin loses support from collagen and elastin, and underlying structures like bone shift, gravity exerts more pronounced effects. Over time, this leads to sagging, deeper folds, and wrinkles that can become greater with age.
- Wrinkles from external stressors – Chronic sun exposure (photo-aging), smoking, environmental pollutants, and repeated skin dryness can degrade the structural integrity of your skin. The result can be earlier, more pronounced formation of deep lines, especially in sun-exposed areas like face, neck, and hands.
When Do Wrinkles Typically Start Appearing?
The timeline for wrinkle development varies widely depending on genetics, lifestyle, skin type, and environmental exposure. But we do see the following common patterns in our offices:
- 20s – Many people begin to notice fine lines, especially dynamic ones, around the eyes or mouth. These often disappear after expressions fade or after rest. But early preventive skin-care measures can make a big difference in keeping these at bay.
- 30s – For a lot of people, this is when static wrinkles begin to emerge. Lines formed over three decades of expressions, squinting, sun exposure or even repeated common facial movements begin to linger. Initial wrinkles at this stage include lines under the eyes and between brows or around the forehead.
- Middle age and older – As skin loses collagen, elastin, moisture, and fat volume, deeper wrinkles, folds, sagging, and skin laxity become more common. By this point, wrinkles often represent a combination of dynamic, static, and gravitational or volume-loss effects.
What Accelerates Wrinkle Formation?
Several lifestyle and environmental factors significantly influence how early and how deeply wrinkles appear. Let’s break them down, here:
- Sun exposure (UV radiation) – This is one of the biggest external contributors. UV rays break down collagen and elastin fibers, reducing skin elasticity and accelerating the formation of wrinkles.
- Lifestyle habits – Smoking, poor nutrition, alcohol, dehydration, lack of sleep, and chronic stress all contribute to earlier skin aging. Smoking, for example, can prematurely deplete collagen and deprive your skin of oxygen, which thins the skin and makes wrinkles more visible.
- Loss of moisture & slower cell turnover – As we age, skin becomes less resilient. Cells regenerate more slowly, and skin ultimately becomes less capable of bouncing back, so wrinkles set in more deeply.
Wrinkle Prevention & Management Strategies
While we can’t stop time, there are many ways to slow down wrinkle formation and even improve the appearance of existing lines. A combination of daily habits, skin care, and professional treatments can go a long way.
Daily skin-care habits
- Use sunscreen daily – Even on cloudy days or during winter months. UV damage accumulates over years, so broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher is one of the single most effective tools to delay wrinkles and protect your skin from premature aging.
- Moisturize and hydrate – Keeping skin well-hydrated helps maintain elasticity and plumpness, which can soften the appearance of fine lines deep wrinkles. Using ingredients such as retinoids, antioxidants, peptides, and hyaluronic-acid serums can support skin renewal, boost collagen production, and lessen environmental damage.
- Prioritize your health – Avoid smoking, find ways to healthily manage stress, and support your skin health with a nutrient-rich diet.
Professional & Medical Treatments
- BOTOX® Cosmetic – BOTOX® is useful for dynamic wrinkles (like crow’s-feet or forehead lines) to relax the underlying muscles and reduce repetitive creasing. It can slow new wrinkle formation if done consistently over time. Our team of licensed practitioners at Florida Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centers proudly offers BOTOX® Cosmetic non-surgical injectable treatments that require little-to-no downtime and offer dramatic results instantly.
- JUVÉDERM® and JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC filler treatments – Facial volume loss contributes to deeper folds, marionette lines, and sagging. Fillers can help restore fullness, smooth out creases, and improve skin contour. Our team of licensed practitioners at Florida Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centers proudly offers JUVÉDERM® and JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA™ XC filler treatments.
- Laser resurfacing, chemical peels & skin-resurfacing treatments – For static wrinkles, sun-damage wrinkles, and deeper creases, resurfacing can stimulate collagen production, even out texture, and reduce fine lines. If you are interested in one of these treatment options, call us to schedule a consultation with one of our providers.
Wrinkles Tell a Story & That’s OK
It’s important to remember that wrinkles and lines are a natural part of life. Every laugh, frown, smile and squint mean something and represent a time of significance in our life.
At the same time, caring for your skin and aging gracefully can be about balance. It’s not about erasing every line, it’s about making mindful choices that support the health of your skin like respecting your skin’s needs, protecting it from preventable damage, and restoring what we can when changes happen.
Whether you see a few fine lines, deeper wrinkles, or simply want to maintain healthy skin for your future, understanding what wrinkles are and what influences them gives you the power to decide and influence how your skin ages.
Our team of dermatologists and skin care professionals can help you in which ever phase you find yourself in. Whether you want to prevent wrinkles, or desire to soften their appearance, we are here to help!
About Us
FLDSCC’s team of providers are experts in diagnosing and treating skin cancers; skin conditions and diseases such as eczema, rosacea, dry skin, rashes, and warts; and chronic skin diseases and infections, while simultaneously tackling aging skin, wound care, and a multitude of other skin, hair, and nail concerns.
Several FLDSCC providers are fellowship-trained in Mohs micrographic surgery, an effective state-of-the-art treatment for most types of skin cancers. Mohs surgery involves minimal discomfort and encourages the greatest preservation of healthy tissue, which means less risk of scarring and superior cosmetic results.
FLDSCC has many convenient locations throughout the state. For more information, visit www.fldscc.com, or call (855) FLD-SKIN.
